Once Upon A Murder
by Gnomey
Summary: A girl gets killed for what she saw her ex do, but what he doesn't know is she's coming back with a new friend, and neither of them are too happy
1. Prologue

A girl runs through the open streets and she hears the pounding of feet behind her. She turns a corner and walks into a small alley. She stopped; it was a dead end. She turned around quickly and her pursuer slowed as well. Her face shows her horror as the man in black stepped toward her. She walked backwards until her back rested against the cold hard brick of the back wall. Her long fiery orange hair was in tangles from out of her tight bun. Her shirt was ripped at the bottom and her pants were torn. The man only laughed as he drew his two knives.  
  
" You killed him, you bastard! I don't care anymore! I broke up with you, what part of that don't you understand!? Just leave me alone!!!" she cried out into the darkness; the man was getting closer. Her chest heaved and tears ran down her pale cheeks. Her wide blue-green eyes displayed all the dismay within her. The man, however, was enjoying himself. The blades now rested on her throat and the man pressed it harder against her skin.  
  
"I never meant for this to happen when we started dating, but I don't think this is gonna work out." He said, as he dragged the knife across her throat slowly, leaving a trail of blood and broken skin. She gasped for breath and she doubled forward with pain. Her breath caught in her throat as the blood from the wound entered her mouth. The man stood there laughing and taunting her as she struggled for air.  
  
"Good-bye, Katrina. I once loved you." And with that, blackness enveloped her and she died with nothing but hatred and despair in her heart. 


	2. Not just any rainy day

The noises of a typical city street filled the air and the rain pelted hard on hooded heads. Nothing was out of the ordinary, just yet anyway. A crow sailed high overhead and landed on a gravestone in the local cemetery. The name read "Katrina Thomas Died July 19, 2000 'May she rest in peace.'" The crow cawed loudly and the ground beneath the tombstone began to tremble. The dirt rose from the ground as if someone was pushing it up, and indeed, someone was. An inhuman cry filled the air as she climbed out of her grave, emotions that could never be explained coursed through Katrina's veins as she stumbled away from the broken ground. The crow cawed again and she stopped suddenly. She knew the stories, she knew what had happened now. The crow had brought her back to life to get revenge. She turned to face the bird and the crow cawed yet again, but this time, she could understand what it was saying.  
  
"The man you seek is not just the man you want to kill. There are others that you must find for your mission to be complete. Fulfil this quest and your soul will be left in peace as it was meant to. I am allowing you one other wish, but only to help you with your task. What is it you would like?" it said in a soothing yet firm voice. Katrina felt her throat and ran her fingers across the scar tissue there. She remembered everything now, the man, the knife, the murders. She didn't think she'd be able to speak, but she tried anyhow.  
  
"Bring me Eric Draven."  
  
Meanwhile, in a bar not too far from where Katrina was, a group of rugged men sat talking about, of course, their achievements.  
  
"I got me a nice lookin' watch from some guy 'bout a year ago. It hasn't broken yet!" said Braun, who was exactly as his name. He took a long swig of beer before saying something else.  
  
"And for the whole reason we're here right now, I'd like to congratulate Ditto, for today is the year anniversary of his first day in the Satan Dragons. He killed two people that day! Happy anniversary, Ditto." And all of the surrounding men drank to that toast. Ditto clanked his beer glass down and sat back relaxed. 'Heh, about time they recognized me for doing something. I was about to beat their asses.' He said to himself. Beerbelly and Gutter were laughing about nothing, drunk off their asses and Braun was talking to Ditto. Ditto wore a smug look, he was very pleased with himself.  
  
"Look, man, just tell me what happened, I wanna know!" said Braun, eager to hear his friend's tale of destruction. Ditto sat up straight and leaned forward. He talked in a low whisper so only Braun would be able to hear him.  
  
"I was just getting done with killing some guy in an office building when this chick walked in. I saw it was my ex-girlfriend, right? So I finished off that guy and she ran, and I followed her." He paused to see Braun's reaction, which was pleasingly shocked. He continued, "I chase her down on the streets and she trips a couple times, but she gets back up, boy is she quick. So I corner her in an alley, and she starts yellin' at me, 'You killed him, you killed him, blah blah blah!' and I finally had enough and slit her throat. She was just some dumb old bitch anyways." He finished and Braun let out a breath.  
  
"Damn man, that's some story. Well, I'm tired of this hellhole, let's get outta here." And with hoots of victory, the Satan's Dragons left the bar in a drunken stupor. 


	3. The Meeting of two like Souls

The crow perched on the weathered tombstone and started pecking. The ground rumbled much like it had before, and a man gasping for breath climbed out. He was wearing black pants and a tattered shirt along with some boots. He struggled to get up, and Katrina rushed over to help him. He was startled, so as a reaction he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" He said as he gripped her wrist tightly. She only laughed and pushed him away with her free hand. She circled him and her torn white funeral dress dragged behind her. She stopped and looked at him.  
  
"So, you're him, huh? You're Eric Draven. As for who I am and what I want, I am a victim who wants the help of an expert." Katrina said in a voice filled with both sadness and vengefulness. Eric stood there stunned, and looked at the girl before him. She had pale alabaster skin, orange hair up in a bun, and had a long scar across her throat. She reminded him of someone, someone from his past, and he shuddered at the thought. She walked towards him with hope in her eyes.  
  
"Please help me, I need to kill these 4 men. He…he killed me and…" Katrina couldn't finish, and she broke into a fit of tears. Eric dropped down on his knees and cradled her until she could start talking again. There was something about Katrina that reminded him of Shelly, his former love, and he felt the need to comfort her in any way he can.  
  
"He killed my father." She finally finished, and she wiped the tears from her face. She slowly stood up with the help of Eric and she started her story in a more complete sense.  
  
"I was in my father's office building helping him with something, and I heard a noise so I went into his office. There standing over my father's bloody body was my ex, and he took the knives out of my father's corpse. I ran out and I was running down the streets, but he was following me. So I turned into an alley which ended up being a dead end. He told me 'I don't think it's gonna work out and he slit my throat…" she said as she showed him the scar. Eric knew the pains all too well. He again held her when she started sobbing, and then lifted her chin to face him.  
  
"I'll help you, but I want to let you know something. Being a resurrected soul has its prices. You can't let the bird die, or you die. Never leave my side, and always be on the look out. Do you understand that?" he said gently, trying to ease the pain of remembering. Katrina nodded and started to walk, she knew where to go next. Eric followed her, still amazed at how much she really was like Shelly. He vowed then and there to protect her while they were both in the land of the living, and even in the realm of the dead. 


	4. Eric's Intricate Thoughts

Ditto, Braun, Beerbelly, and Gutter all crowd around a table in their "humble abode". It was a scarcely furnished apartment that had but one window. They sat there looking at the plans drawn up for their big event two nights from now. The reason they were waiting an extra day was so that their fearless leader Flamer could join them on their fray. The setting sun shone through the open window and the men leaned back in their seats.  
  
"So it's decided then. Friday night we take out the bar and have a welcome back party for Flamer!" said Gutter as he twirled his gun with his fingers. Beerbelly stood up and looked out the window to the cemetery below. He saw two figures and a bird looking back up at him. Beerbelly snorted and walked towards the door.  
  
"I'll see you guys later, I gotta go down town to pick up some stuff." He said and then he walked out and closed the door behind him. Beerbelly's large feet thudded along the corridor and he exited the building. The crow screeched as the extended stomach of a man came out the front door. The man ignored it and walked slowly down the street.  
  
"Well, there goes one of them, should we go after him?" said Eric watching the man amble along. Katrina shook her head and peered up and down the street.  
  
"How far to your old apartment from here?" she asked not looking at him. He was confused and it showed on his face. She smiled and ran to the next corner, closely followed by Eric and the Crow.  
  
"It's down this road here, why?" he questioned as they hid behind a dumpster. Katrina jogged across the street and ran all the way down. Eric followed yet again, and was still confused. He stopped her and she understood. In front of them stood a large apartment building and at the top of the building, a broken window yawned over the street sign. Katrina walked to the boarded entrance and pried open the planks. She rushed up the stairs to the very top, and Eric opened the door for her. "Why did I do that?' he asked himself. Pushing these thoughts aside, he stepped in and Katrina stood in the middle of the floor. The apartment was exactly as he had left it, but Gabriel went home with Sarah the night he returned to his grave. Katrina turned to him and saw him grimace as he thought of memories past.  
  
"You mustn't think about it now, it's better to just let the memories go as fast as they come. Now, do you have any women's clothing? I need to get out of this dress." She said as she swept the hair from his eyes. Eric felt something more than just a touch; he felt Shelly. He felt Shelly in Katrina. He sat down on a worn-out old couch and stared at her blankly. Then he remembered her question.  
  
"Uh, yeah, in here." He said and he got up. She smiled with relief and walked into the next room with him. In there lay a broken bed covered in dirty blankets and sheets, along with an armoire. Eric opened it up and inside it was filled with beautiful dresses that were still clean and wearable. Katrina gasped and took out three dresses that she thought were the best. She laid them out on the bed and looked at them more closely. The first one was a dark green dress with long sleeves that came to a point and a ring for the middle finger. The next was a dark crimson dress with puffy sleeves that tightened around the wrist. The last was a white dress much like the one she was already wearing, but it had slits on the legs and short sleeves. She looked at Eric and cleared her throat. He abruptly walked out of the room getting the message. She closed the door behind him and was left to decide. Eric changed his clothes also, for his were torn from his last visit. He now wore a black shirt with golden locks running down the front and on the shoulders. The pants were pretty much the same as what he had been wearing before, only not ripped. As he was putting his boots back on, Katrina opened the door and walked out. She wasn't wearing any of the other dresses; she had found something else. She was wearing a long and elegant black dress that had a lace corset. It was intricately decorated with a rose design with silver stitching. Eric drew in a breath as he saw her walk towards him.  
  
"Well, ok, I know I don't exactly look great, but you don't have to stare. Let's go." Katrina said angrily and stormed out the door. He jumped up to follow her, thinking the whole while how much she looked like Shelly in that dress. 


	5. Beerbelly's Mistake

Beerbelly opened the taxi door and he climbed in. He had to step in sideways because of his extended stomach. The taxi driver turned around and noticed his heavy passenger, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Where to?" he asked. Beerbelly looked out of the window at the street sign, "Harcourt Street" it read. He thought for a moment, and then he decided he was "anxious" for some action. He knew exactly where to go.  
  
"Take me to the corner of Stanley and 5th." Beerbelly replied, and the taxi took off. The rain pounded as hard as ever on the windshield making it hard to see. The taxi arrived at the corner and he got out. He paid the driver and walked down to see if anyone was around. There was but one very attractive woman, and she smiled at him. He grinned and waltzed over to her.  
  
"Hello, there, beautiful. Going my way?" Beerbelly said as he put his arm on her shoulders. She pushed his arm away and grinned slyly at him. She motioned for him to follow her as they entered an abandoned office building. The building had many corridors and she led him into a room. He walked in very happily and she grabbed his wrist and shoved him into a torn leather chair. She whistled and out of the shadows came a man, Eric. He tossed her two knives that she readily caught. She sat on Beerbelly's lap and held him against the back of the seat. He tried to push her off, but Katrina was too strong for him.  
  
"Temptation is the number one leading cause of death, you know. Plus, it'd be great to get rid of one of the many perverts in this city. Eric, would you like to help? This guy will take two people." She asked as she looked back at him. It only took that one second for Beerbelly to take out his gun and shoot Katrina in the shoulder. The wound closed up by itself and she smiled at him again.  
  
"You really gotta try harder next time." She said, and Eric walked over to stand next to her. She gave him one of the knives and they both held their blades to Beerbelly's throat. He, of course, panicked.  
  
"I don't even know you! What the hell do you want with me? What'd I ever do to you?!" he exclaimed in horror as they pushed their knives into his skin. Finally, Eric couldn't take this idiot any longer, so he looked at Katrina and she looked back. Together, they shoved the blades into his throat. As Beerbelly gasped for air, Katrina only smirked and said "You lived." She got off of his lap and he fell onto the floor suffocating.  
  
"Not that this matters now, does it?" was the last thing Beerbelly heard before the world caved in on him. 


	6. The Twisted Past

"I'm impressed." Said Eric to Katrina. They were back in Eric's apartment, and they were both relaxing in the trashed living room. The crow hasn't showed up since before Beerbelly left the building. Katrina was lying on the couch staring up at the ceiling.  
  
"Why? It's not like you've never killed anyone before." She said slyly. Eric's vision had begun to blur, another memory. It was of him and Shelly, both of them sitting exactly where they were sitting now, only Katrina in Shelly's place.  
  
"What was the worst thing you've ever done?" Eric asked Shelly. She smiled and said jokingly, "Killed someone. Don't look at me like that, it's not like you've never killed anyone before." And the scene slowly dripped away.  
  
"Eric? What's wrong, are you okay?" asked Katrina, seeing him clutch his head as he saw the memory. Instead of answering her, he looked over at the window. The crow was standing there looking back at him.  
  
"Have you figured it out yet? Katrina is the reincarnation of Shelly. She was destined to die that way and brought back with you. Protect her, and you will be rewarded." It said so only he could hear.  
  
"Hey, it's the crow! Where have you been?" said Katrina as she got up to stroke it's feathers. It just shook and nodded at Eric. He got up and walked to the door, then he stopped to look back at Katrina.  
  
"I'm going for a walk, you want anything?" he said, his hand on the doorknob. She smiled and replied, "Um, a nice jacket, if you please? It's gonna get cold tonight." Eric nodded, and he walked out of the room. Katrina went over to the couch and lay down again. She was starting to like him, and the crow knew it. Eric walked along the city streets thinking. The crow said he had to protect her, what did it mean? She was invincible as long as it was alive, right? All these questions ran through his head, and he didn't know what to make out of them. Eric managed to pick a passing guy's pocket and took his wallet. It had about 150 dollars in it, so he decided to put it to good use. He turned the corner and entered the small clothing store. He looked around a bit before he saw something he knew Katrina would love. He bought a leather jacket with ripped sleeves and a rose on the back. Eric walked out of the store and he decided to take the detour back to the apartment. Eric was confused more than ever now, because he just realized something; he loved her as much as he did Shelly. That scared him a lot, and he didn't know what to do. Before he knew it, he was walking up the stairs to the loft. He opened the door and he saw Katrina staring out of the window, a solemn look on her face. When he walked in her face lit up.  
  
"Hey, I was just thinking about you. So, how'd the jacket search go?" she asked. Eric gave her the jacket and helped her put it on. She was ecstatic, and it well showed. She rushed into the bedroom to look in the mirror. She twirled and looked at the beautiful flower on the back. Before she knew what she was doing, she ran back over to Eric and kissed him. They both pulled away as they had a memory come back to the both of them. Shelly and him were in the living room and they were sitting on the floor in each other's arms. Shelly looked up at him and smiled as he stroked her cheek. They kissed, and the memory was gone. Katrina took the memory hard this time, because she had never experienced something like that before. She was on the floor clutching her head as Eric was before. She looked up at him in confusion.  
  
"Was that Shelly?" she asked as tears streamed down her face. Eric nodded and knelt on one knee next to her.  
  
"Before, the crow told me something. It told me that you were Shelly reincarnated. I've been thinking about it, and the more I do, the more it seems to make sense. It also told me to protect you, and I will." He replied. 


	7. "A Harlequin in the moonlight..."

The night sky was filled with clouds and the moon constantly disappeared behind them. Braun, Gutter, and Ditto all walked to their favorite club. It was called "The Night Jar", and it was a total gothic club. The women were all pale and had bright eyes while the men wore long trench coats with torn shirts. The gang walked in and sat at their usual table in the back. The owner of the club, Jade, walked over to them.   
"Hey guys, got a message for ya. Some chick came in looking for you. She said to meet her at your apartment at midnight." She said as she read it off of a piece of paper. They were all confused. They just shook it off and decided to worry about it when the time comes. They ordered their drinks and Braun took a small notebook out of his pocket. What the rest of the gang didn't know was that Braun was a poet. He never told them because he was afraid they'd think of it as a weakness. He wrote in it now and this is what it said,  
"The dark of night leaves my sight as it quickly drifts by.   
The deep black street all covered in mist, The fog would not desist, I walk alone and let out a sigh.   
A figure looms in the fog up ahead, it leaves no footprints on the ground it has tread, the cool air drops down.  
It's a man that leaves no trace, with a painted white face and a black painted frown.  
A myth so I'm told, it cannot grow old, because legends don't die.  
Out in the cold, in my arms I enfold, I curl in a ball and I cry."  
He put the notebook away and took a few sips of his beer. The poem he just wrote was supposedly a myth that he heard from one of his friends, but Braun thought it was true. The guys finished their beers and they walked out without paying for their drinks. The refreshing night air was wonderful compared to the atmosphere in the bar. They all climbed into the car and Ditto started the engine.  
"Hey, where's Beerbelly? I haven't seen him all night." Said Gutter, looking out the window. They all just shrugged and thought nothing else of it. They sped down the street, not caring whether or not who they almost just hit. Ditto parked the car outside of their apartment building. He looked at his watch; it read 11:52.   
"Braun, go inside and see if that girl is there." He said, pointing up to the window of their room. Braun climbed out of the car and walked up to the door. He opened it and walked inside. He jogged up the stairs to their apartment door, and he unlocked it with his key. He peered in and saw that the room was dark. Braun walked in and someone shut the door behind him loudly. He spun around to see who had closed it, and saw no one. He looked around and searched the shadows for some sort of life.  
"A little blue bird once told me he knew all, and then I tore off his wings and watched him fall…" sang a voice in a whisper. Braun got scared, and he stood stiffly in the middle of the room. He felt a hand brush across his cheek, although he couldn't see it. Then, right in front of his face stood a lovely woman with a painted face of white and black. She wore a black and red dress, but the red looked as if it were painted on; blood. He stared at her as if he didn't really see her, as if she were only an illusion. She waved her hands in front of her face, her fingers doing a dance of their own. It was almost hypnotic the way her eyes followed her own movements, the way her head tilted to the side as though she was questioning her own actions.  
"A harlequin dance in the moonlight, the beams her only audience. A stranger disrupts her pleasure, and a bloody hand leaves the harlequin on her own…" she started to sing as she approached, just inches away from Braun's face. He remembered his poem, about the man with the painted face, and he realized something. His friend had told the truth, only it was really a woman with the painted face. Then out of the darkness came a man with a face just like the woman's. He had burning eyes and a sadistic smile on his face. Braun started to back away, but the man stepped behind him. Trapped between two lunatics, he was lost in his own confusion. The woman kissed him on the lips for a quick second and then she took a knife out of nowhere. She trailed his cheeks with it leaving bloody slits, and he was too afraid to feel them. Her eyes held an emotion that no one has ever experienced. It was more than hatred; it was repulsiveness, anger, and sorrow all in one. She brought the knife down and it cut through Braun's clothing and right into his chest. The woman plunged the blade in deeper and the man held the back of the long jacket Braun wore. She took out the knife and looked at the blood seeping through his shirt.  
"Out in the cold, in my arms I enfold, I curl in a ball and I cry." Braun said as his own lifeblood slowly dispersed. He finally died and the man in black dropped the body to the floor. Katrina waltzed over to him and gave him a long and passionate kiss. Eric smiled and they both leaped out of the window together as the gang walked into the room. 


End file.
